$2.5 million upgrade responds to congestion complaints since the flyover opened, but the Howick Local Board doubts it will clear the bottleneck
A new third lane on Pakuranga Road near the Ra Hihi flyover aims to ease the congestion that has built up since the bridge opened, in a $2.5 million Auckland Transport upgrade.
“We acknowledge that people have been waiting to hear what happens next, and we thank everyone for their patience,” Auckland Transport’s Eastern Busway Programme Director Andy Huang said.
The lane runs on Pakuranga Road between the Ti Rakau Drive intersection and the flyover, following community feedback about traffic heading east from Panmure.
Work on the lane began in June and was expected to take about six weeks, carried out mostly at night to limit disruption.
Huang said the decision followed detailed technical assessments and engagement with the Pakuranga MP, Howick ward councillors, the Howick Local Board, Bike Auckland and neighbouring stakeholders.
“It is a complex location with limited road space and extensive underground utilities,” he said.
The upgrade reshapes the existing curved intersection to improve the flow towards Howick, while keeping a two-way cycleway on the southern side of the road.
A more extensive option, replacing the curve with three straight-through lanes, was costed at around $11 million but would need separate Auckland Council approval.
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown, who had pushed for the change, welcomed the extra lane but said it had taken too long to decide.
“I know how frustrated locals have been about this new Pakuranga Road and the Reeves Road Flyover intersection,” Brown said in a video posted to his Facebook page on 8 May.
He said Auckland Transport had agreed to add a third lane towards Howick, but that “it’s taken too long to come to these decisions.”
Brown said the priority should be “traffic moving quickly and efficiently,” and he backed going further with three straight-through lanes from Ti Rakau Drive as the longer-term fix.
The Howick Local Board, which gave formal feedback in April, backed the design but questioned whether it would fix the problem.
The Board said it was “concerned that the increased flow of traffic through the intersection will not solve the congestion issues as community might be expecting,” warning that traffic would still bottleneck on Pakuranga Road north of the flyover.
It also expressed concern at “the limited public consultation undertaken for changes that have a direct and ongoing impact on road users, residents and businesses outside the immediate local area,” and asked Auckland Transport for earlier engagement in future.
Huang said the intersection upgrade alone would not resolve congestion in the area, which he linked to urban growth and a historic reliance on private vehicles.
The wider Eastern Busway, including 12 kilometres of dedicated walking and cycling paths, is due to open in 2027.
